Sarah Winnett was the first of the Winnetts to
leave Ireland but several others would follow.
While most Irish people were leaving to escape the famine or civil
uprisings of
1845, the Winnetts seem to have been property owners. They may have
been subject to religious intolerance since they were part of a small
Protestant minority living in Killaloe. Their lives may have been
threatened by terrorists who attacked anyone who appeared to be
supporting the British. Sarah's husband was reportedly a policeman in
Killaloe.

Sarah and her husband, William Loane, arrived in
Canada with their 6 children between May 1845 and Feb 1847
and settled
near Toronto. He
quickly established himself as a
shoemaker.

During the famine, Irish emigrants
arrived in New York harbour at a rate of 300 per day for six
years. During the first three quarters of 1846, 42,404 arrived in
Canada while 67,792 landed in the United States.